Forum answers I

Please feel free to continue posting questions over the next day or so, but right now I’ll start posting the answers. Great questions so far, and I hope I’m able to give them the solid answers they deserve! Here’s the first set…

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Derek Bargaehr asked: “-If you were putting $100 on it, who has your best bet to make the defensive corps out of training camp? -Who do you think the offensive call-up(s) will be? -What do you think the Kings’ biggest weakness will be next year? -What do you think their biggest strength will be next year?”

Answers: 1) Very tough to say, but I would probably give a slight edge to Jake Muzzin. 2) By call-ups, I’m going to presume that you mean players who didn’t spend a chunk of time with the Kings last season (Moller and Clune, for instance). In which case I would probably say Cliche and Westgarth have the best chance of making the team. 3) and 4) are really impossible to accurately answer until I have a look at what the roster is going to be. At this moment, if you’re assuming the roster stays exactly the same as it was at the end of last season, you’d have to say that 5-on-5 scoring remains a weakness while defensive depth remains a strength (both in terms of forwards and defensemen).

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dabronx asked: I dont think it was clear regarding the coaches situation. Are all of the coaches signed? What about Kompon?

Answer: Yes, I believe that all of the relevant staff members have been taken care of. The question now would be whether or not they received contract extensions that would put Kompon and Ranford equal with Terry Murray and the newly hired John Stevens. It’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t, but since contract extensions for assistant coaches aren’t typically trumpeted publicly, I’ll have to try to find that out.

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jet asked: Which draftees will be at dev camp?

Answer: Other than Gravel, who wasn’t at the draft, I asked the other draftees if they planned to attend, and they said yes. Kitsyn’s agent specifically said that his visa would allow Kitsyn to stay, so unless Gravel can’t make it out — no reason to think he won’t — it looks as though there will be perfect attendance.

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Bob Bobson asked: The salary cap has consistently gone up year to year even through recessionary times. When times get better do you expect that the cap will really start to skyrocket? Is there a limit to the amount the cap can increase or decrease year to year? Have you heard any complaints by smaller teams that the floor is a lot higher than it used to be? I am unsure but I think the floor is now close to what the ceiling was.

Answer: Your last point there caught my attention first, so I looked it up. The first post-lockout cap ceiling, in 2005-06, was $39 million, with a floor of $21.5 million. The 2010-11 cap will be $59.4 million, with a floor of $43.4 million. Very interesting! Good questions all around. I’m certainly no economist — I think I got a B in Econ in college — but I’d have to think that there’s little chance that the cap will “skyrocket,” because, realistically, there’s only so far it can go. Unless there’s a huge boost of revenue, from massive ticket-price increases or a huge TV deal, something along those lines, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever see a huge jump in the cap. There’s no built-in limit, as far as I know. And no, I haven’t heard about any complaints from smaller teams, quite probably because they’re enjoying the revenue-sharing aspects of the CBA. I would think that if a team has a problem maintaining a $44-million payroll, they should probably be looking at relocation anyway.

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tornado12 asked: 1) It seems to me that certain prospects may be reaching a make or break year for them to make an impression and stick in the NHL with the KINGS. Which player(s) do you think are on that list? 2) Obvisouly all the pieces are not in place yet for the upcoming season, but as we stand overall, what do you think the expectations should be for next years squad? 3) Any chance of having another lakingsinsider suite game this year? 4) What do you do for fun? ie-hobbies?

Answers: 1) Well, I think that’s probably all relative to expectations for each player. It’s tough to judge Trevor Lewis, a former first-rounder, on the same scale as an undrafted player such as Gabe Gauthier. When I think of “make or break” players, I tend to think of players who have had multiple looks at the NHL but haven’t been able to stick, such as Teddy Purcell and Matt Moulson in the past couple seasons. Other than Lewis, and perhaps Oscar Moller, I’m not sure how many other prospects would fit in that category, or at least my interpretation of it. 2) Ask me again in the second week of July. If you want to know, based simply on the players who are under contract right now, you’d have to say that a similar, top-six finish in the West could be expected. That has the ability to change significantly over the next week, if high-impact players are added to the roster. 3) Yes, I believe there’s a very good chance of that. The gentleman who did a lot of the work on that has expressed interest in doing it again, and I think it would be a great idea. 4) Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Sports, reading, friends/family. I’m closely involved with a summer workshop for young journalists, so the summer affords me some time to help organize and attend that, which I enjoy.

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Remphliz asked: Should we as Kings fan we worried that Tim Leiweke is putting himself in the news again? It seems like historically that the more Tim Leiweke talks the dumber stuff the Kings do.

Answer: I’m not really sure where he’s been putting himself in the news, other than responding to a reporter’s questions about Lombardi’s contract extensions and by appearing at the commissioner’s brunch as a representative of the host city. If there’s evidence that he’s trying to influence hockey-operations decisions, then yes, you might be concerned, but talking to the media in itself isn’t inherently evil, is it?

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Rob asked: Are the Kings trying to re-sign Doughty before making offers to Kovalchuk or a D-man?

Answer: I wouldn’t say “before” as much as I would say “concurrently.” Remember, also, that adding a player doesn’t necessarily mean adding a player via free agency. Lombardi has been dropping thinly veiled hints, since the end of the season, about pursuing trades, so just because a forward and/or defenseman isn’t signed on July 1 (or 2, or 3, etc.) doesn’t mean that one/both can’t be added later, and (as you suggest) added after the Kings have finalized Doughty’s long-term cap number.

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deelo asked: Have you heard anything about “pressure from the top” in regards to management putting pressure on Dean Lombardi to get a Kovalchuk deal done?

Answer: Nothing at all, no.

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kozak asked: Can the Cubs dump Zambrano? Is anyone willing to take a portion of that contract and all of his attitude?

Answer: Well, if someone was dumb enough to take Milton Bradley at $10 million a year, I suppose there’s always hope. I’m afraid, though, that Zambrano is just one of the symptoms of a much larger problem.

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Ryan15 asked: Rich, Which players/player from the group of Thomas Hickey, Kyle Clifford, and Bud Holloway will play more than 15-20 for the Kings this upcoming season? Thanks.

Answer: It’s only my guess, but if you’re talking about more than 20 games, the only player of the three I’d be confident in saying that about would be Clifford.

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Kevin Y asked: 1) What’s the situation with Sean O’Donnell? Would they like to bring him back, either as a player or a coach for the next season? 2) What’s the likelihood Braydon Schenn cracks the roster next season, and which rookie (other than Bernier) has the best chance of making it?

Answers: 1) Well, he wouldn’t be back as a coach, at least not at the NHL level (unless it was in some role such as the one Nelson Emerson fills, as a player-development type of coach). From the best I could tell, talking to O’Donnell during the season, he didn’t seem ready to retire, but would he be willing to accept a reduced role next season? That’s probably the relevant question. The Kings like O’Donnell, particularly his leadership, but they might not be able to promise him 80 games next season. 2) Schenn probably has a 50-50 shot at this point. Maybe slightly better. Lombardi explained in the postseason Q&A that a lot of of it will depend on how hard Schenn works this summer. A center spot will probably be available, but Cliche (to name one) will provide strong competition. Other than Bernier (and Schenn), I’d say Muzzin or Clifford probably has the best chance of making the team.

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Rainman asked: Why do you think the Kings didn’t draft Emerson Etem? I’m really tired of hearing the stock answer “we draft the best player available.” Does that mean we would have drafted a Goalie if he was the best player available on Friday?

Answer: To give you an accurate answer, I’d have to have in-depth knowledge of the Kings’ scouting reports on Etem, and be able to compare them to the in-depth scouting reports on Forbort and every other player who went in the first round. As for “best available,” I’m not really sure why you would consider that a “stock answer.” The reason that NHL teams have scouting staffs, and spend 11 1/2 months researching players, is to be able to put together a list on draft day. If they’re not taking the best player available on their list, then what’s the point in having a scouting staff? Frankly, Etem is getting extra attention because he was born in Long Beach. Given how he dropped, in relation to his Central Scouting rating, the real question should be, “Why didn’t the Kings, Oilers, Bruins, Panthers, Blue Jackets, Islanders, Lightning, Hurricanes, Thrashers, Wild, Rangers, Stars, Coyotes, Blues, Avalanche, Predators, Penguins, Red Wings, Canadiens, Sabres, Blackhawks, Capitals and Sharks draft Emerson Etem?” They all had swings at him, and declined. I’m not sure why the Kings should be singled out, just because of Etem’s zip code.